News | Student Life

At SEAS Class Day, speakers grapple with human-centered engineering amid advances in AI

Valedictorian Danielle Maydan, SEAS ’26, and keynote speaker Angeliki Frangou, SEAS ’88, both centered AI in their remarks to the graduating class, saying the technology demands engineers who can build the future without losing sight of humanity.

By Alison Chiu / Columbia Daily Spectator
Valedictorian Danielle Maydan, SEAS ’26, said that her generation faces a “uniquely profound challenge” in defining what humanity means in the face of advances in generative AI.
By Matt Luo • May 20, 2026 at 3:47 AM




























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